


Loving is Easy

by tyrus_muffins



Category: Andi Mack - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-27 21:24:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16710292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyrus_muffins/pseuds/tyrus_muffins
Summary: After meeting him at dirtbiking and hanging out with him occasionally with TJ and Lester, Reed finally decides to ask Cyrus on a date.





	1. Loving is Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting him at dirtbiking and hanging out with him occasionally with TJ and Lester, Reed finally decides to ask Cyrus on a date.

Cyrus was on his way out of the school when he heard a familiar voice. “Cyrus!” He turned his head to lock eyes with Reed. 

“Reed!” He beamed, “Hi! What’s up?” They walked side-by-side out the door.  
“I was wondering if you’re free this Friday?” Reed asked. 

“This Friday?” Cyrus repeated, thinking for a moment. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

Reed looked at the ground in front of him bashfully, “I, uh- I wanted to know if you wanted to maybe…go out?”

Cyrus stopped, looking at Reed. “Y-you mean like…” He trailed off.

“A date?” Reed added. Cyrus nodded, “Yeah. I mean like a date.” They started walking again.

Cyrus actually had to think for a second. Cyrus really likes TJ and he has for a while now. But at the same time, there was a little voice in the back of his mind that always made him think TJ was straight and would never like him that way. He was just really friendly and a good person, is all. Cyrus didn’t want to risk losing his friendship just because he got another crush on a straight boy. 

As for Reed though? He was cute, pretty chill, and he likes Cyrus!! Besides, he was a friend of TJ’s! Sure, they’ve only known each other a couple weeks now. 

But he has been giving off some flirty vibes. He’s a good friend of TJ’s, so he’s got to be a good person, right?

“You like me?” He questioned. “Why?”

“Why?” Reed scoffed, “Are you kidding? Have you met yourself?” Cyrus blushed. “You’re the most adorable, kind, and cutest person I have ever met. I really like you.” 

If Cyrus’ face wasn’t about as red as a tomato earlier, it definitely was now. There was a silence between the two for a few seconds while they walked, hands brushing every once and a while.

“So, is that a no?” Reed asked, face falling slightly.

“No, idiot!” He nudged Reed playfully. “I’d love to go on a date with you. You’re a really great guy! I think it’ll be fun. Where were you thinking?”

“Movies?” He suggested. “I know it’s kinda cliche, but.” He shrugged, trailing off. Cyrus smiled at this. A movie date *did* sound really cliche. But, Cyrus was a sucker for cliche’s. He’d probably never admit that, though.

“I love it.” Cyrus replied, earning a soft chuckle from Reed.

“Alright, meet me at the theater at 6pm Friday?” Cyrus nodded. Reed smiles, 

“Rad! Well, I should probably head back toward my house. See you!”

“Okay! Later.” He watched Reed turn around and head the other direction. Cyrus looked at his feet as he walked before finally deciding to start toward the park.

Reed was a really good friend of TJ’s, meaning he would probably tell TJ that he’s going on a date with Cyrus. He felt his heartrate speed at the realization he needs to come out to TJ. Him and TJ were close, and he didn’t want TJ finding out Cyrus was gay through one of his friends! He wanted to come out to TJ so he could see his reaction. 

The mere thought of TJ finding out from Reed and then possibly never speaking to him again was utterly terrifying. But then again, TJ would never do something like that to Cyrus. Would he? TJ is a really good person. He’d never stop talking to Cyrus or end their friendship just because he’s gay. But would it make things awkward? Would he not be as touchy? Would he think Cyrus has a crush on him?! Well, that wouldn’t be a lie. Cyrus does have a crush on TJ. But TJ can’t find out!! 

Cyrus’ head was spinning. He took a deep breath and walked toward the swings. Luckily, the park was empty. Kids rarely came here in the colder months. Cyrus sat in a swing, reluctantly pulling out his phone and calling TJ.  
It rang a couple times before he picked up.

“Underdog!” he exclaimed through the phone. “What’s up?”

“H-hey, TJ!” Cyrus’ voice cracked, failing to sound even mildly enthusiastic. 

“Cyrus?” TJ sounded concerned, “You alright?”

Cyrus sighed, “Can- um, can you meet me at the swings? Like right now?”

TJ answered almost immediately, “Of course. Did something happen?” he said. 

“No! I mean, kind of. Nothing bad! I just-” He exhaled slowly, trying to think of his wording. “We need to talk.”

“Oh,” TJ said, unsure of what that meant. Did *he* do something? “I’m on my way. See you in 5.” He said before hanging up.

—————

“Legs go up, legs go down, that’s how we make the swing go ‘round. Drag your feet, you go slow. The more you drag, the less you go.” Cyrus sang, trying to calm himself. He was rethinking everything. He was trying to think of an excuse to get out of telling TJ, and even trying to think of how to get out of the date with Reed. But every ending Cyrus thought of, ended in TJ finding out he was gay. 

All his thoughts flew out the window when he heard footsteps growing close on the wood chips. TJ heard Cyrus singing the song, knowing that usually meant he was trying to calm himself. He sat silently in he swing next to Cyrus. He didn’t swing, he just sat there waiting for Cyrus to decide when he was ready to talk. 

Cyrus slowed down and didn’t speak up until the swing completely stopped. “Hi.” He said, staring at the ground. 

TJ looked up at the sound of Cyrus’ voice, staring at the side of his face. He could tell something was wrong. “Hey.”

Cyrus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just say it. Rip it off like a bandaid. “I’m gay.” He said, squeezing his eyes shut preparing for TJ to laugh at him or say some sarcastic comment.

A couple seconds later he felt arms wrap around him in a tight hug. Cyrus opened his eyes, shocked by the supportive contact. He hoped TJ didn’t notice how fast his heart was racing right now. Cyrus closed his eyes as returned the hug.

TJ let go and gave the softest expression, cupping Cyrus’ face as he wiped the tears that fell down Cyrus’ cheek with his thumb. “Were you scared to tell me?”  
Cyrus sniffled, “I wasn’t *scared* to tell you. I was just didn’t know how you reacted and I was overthinking everything. It was stupid.” he said with a soft laugh. 

TJ took his hand from Cyrus’ face and grabbed his hand. “Cyrus, I’d never make fun of you. Especially not for that.” He said, locking eyes with Cyrus. “I know how hard that can be. Thank you for telling me.” 

*I know how hard that can be*? Cyrus thought. He waved off the thought. TJ wasn’t gay. No way. He’d especially never be into Cyrus like that. “I’m so glad you’re cool with it! I actually have to tell you something else, which is why I was so brave to even tell you anyway.”

TJ thought his heart was going to explode right now and his face lights up. Cyrus already came out to him. Was Cyrus about to say he likes him? TJ wasn’t one to believe in love at first sight. That is, until he met Cyrus. TJ has had the biggest crush on Cyrus for the longest time. Pretty much from the first time he laid his eyes on him in the cafeteria when Buffy pulled him into his view. 

“Go for it, Underdog.” TJ was high on life right now. Was this actually happening? He might actually have a chance with Cyrus, now! Unless Cyrus has some type of secret boyfriend that prompted this whole confession. TJ laughed to himself in his head. Cyrus wouldn’t do that.

Cyrus took a deep breath, “I’m going on a date with Reed this Friday!” he squeaked happily.

TJ’s face fell slightly, but he put on his best poker face. Something he has mastered over the years. 

“Wow!” Was all TJ could manage. This was harder than TJ thought. Looking in Cyrus’ eyes after finding out Cyrus was going on a date with someone else. He wanted to tell Cyrus how he felt, but he didn’t want to ruin this for Cyrus. He was clearly so happy over this. 

“I know, right!” Cyrus exclaimed, “I didn’t think he liked me like that. I mean, I felt like I was picking up some flirty vibes with some stuff he said. But I never thought, y'know…” He trailed off, noticing TJ looked upset about something.  
“Teej?” He questioned, “You okay?”

TJ snapped out of this thoughts, laughing nervously. “Yeah! I’m so happy for you, Cy! I actually have to go, now. I just remembered, I uh- have to go help my mom cook dinner! Yeah!”

Cyrus knit his eyebrows together, noticing something was up about TJ’s behavior. He couldn’t possibly be upset over this, could he? No way he was jealous. Right? “Okay. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

TJ nodded walked away as fast as he could. He could feel Cyrus’ eyes burning a hole in his back. He knew Cyrus could feel the energy shift. Cyrus was just like that. Not surprising, being as he has four therapists for parents.

As soon as TJ knew he was out of Cyrus’ line of vision, his face turned red and tears stung his cheeks as they fell. He put his hoodie over his head so someone would be less likely to recognize him. The last thing he wanted was for somebody he knew see him like this. TJ couldn’t get home fast enough. As soon as he locked the front door, he ran up to his room. 

TJ was pissed. Not at Cyrus, not in the slightest. But at Reed. Reed knows about TJ’s big crush on Cyrus. Why would he do something like this?? TJ had a few words to say to Reed. Boy, did he. He picked up his phone furiously, tapping the call button on Reed’s contact name.

“Hello?” he heard Reed say through the phone.

“ _WHAT THE HELL, REED?!?!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not the rly a cliffhanger but KKDKF dw y’all are gonna get cliffhangers! I’m working on chapter two and i might make a posting schedule.


	2. Hold On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving fellas!! we’re getting a little angsty uh oh! hehe hope you enjoyy

“So, d'you have fun?” Reed asked.

“Uhh, _yeah_! I _love_ the Breakfast Club! It never gets old. Seeing it in the theater, though? 10 times better.” Cyrus replied enthusiastically, gesturing wildly with his hands.

“I know, right! It’s a classic.” They started toward Cyrus’ house. “Thanks for coming. I had a really good time.”

“Me too.”

“So, listen. I’m going to a party tomorrow night. You wanna come with me and meet my friends?” The corners of Cyrus’ lips grew into a smile.

“Really? That sounds amazing! I’d love to go.” Cyrus beamed.

They approached Cyrus’ house and Reed walked him up to the porch. “So,” he started, “how will I be introducing you to my friends?”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

Reed chuckled, “Like…are we, y’know, boyfriends?”

“O-Oh! I mean,” Cyrus blushed, “ _are_ we? Do you want to be?”

“I’d love to be your boyfriend, Cyrus. Kind of why I asked you on a date.” He pointed out teasingly.

“Oh, right.” Cyrus laughed sheepishly. “Well, then yeah. We are.”

“Alright then, _boyfriend_ , I’ll text you the details for the party when I get home. Which, speaking of, I should head home. Thanks again for tonight. I had fun.”

“Ditto. _Boyfriend_.” Cyrus grinned at how stupid they sounded calling each other ‘boyfriend’.

Before either of them turned to go their separate ways, Reed planted a quick kiss on Cyrus’ cheek. The warmth on Cyrus’ cheeks grew and he was pretty sure he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Goodnight.” Reed smiled before walking down the porch steps. 

“Goodnight.” Cyrus echoed, watching Reed for a moment before he entered his home. As happy as he was and as much as his cheeks hurt from smiling so much, something just didn’t feel right.

 

—————————————–

 

The GHC + Jonah & TJ all planned on meeting up at the Spoon on Saturday afternoon to hang out. TJ and Cyrus were sat next to each other in a booth waiting on the other three to arrive and Cyrus was listening to TJ ramble about basketball. Sure, Cyrus didn’t really know anything about basketball. Which, you think he would by now being as he hears about it nonstop from TJ and Buffy. Not that he’s complaining!

But if Cyrus is being completely honest, he just loves listening to TJ talk. Seeing how enthusiastic he gets about the topic just makes Cyrus so happy.

“So, um,” TJ started, immediately regretting it. “how did your date go?” Cyrus could almost feel the energy shift.

“Oh! Uh, It was fun!” The energy felt similar from when he came out to TJ at the swings. “We went to movie theater. They were playing classic 80s movies like Breakfast Club, Heathers, all those…movies…” He trailed off.

TJ nodded, staring out the window. “Are you okay, Teej?” Cyrus looked at him, concerned.

That snapped TJ out of whatever he was thinking about and he looked at Cyrus, “Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know,” He hesitates. “It’s just…ever since I came out to you, you’ve acted a little different towards me. I don’t know how to take it.”

“Cyrus, oh my gosh, no! I 100% support you, I’m not like that.” TJ felt so bad. If only Cyrus knew. He couldn’t help being jealous. But he couldn’t tell Cyrus, that would ruin everything.

“I just,” He sighed with frustration because he couldn’t think of how to word it where he didn’t sound jealous. “I don’t think Reed is good for you, is all.” He decided.

“Why do you say that?” Cyrus asked, knitting his brows.

“Just- forget I said anything, okay?”

Just then, Buffy, Andi and Jonah walked in and sat across from Cyrus and TJ in their booth. “Hey, guys!” Cyrus exclaimed.

 

Cyrus filled in his friends on how the date went. Andi and Buffy said ‘ _awww_ ’ in unison. TJ felt like he was kicked in the chest when Cyrus said Reed kissed his cheek before leaving. “Oh, and he invited me to a party tonight!”

“A party?” TJ finally spoke up.

“Yeah! He said he’s gonna introduce me to his friends.”

TJ felt sick. Angry. Cyrus can not got to this party. A lot of Reed’s friends are high schoolers, and he didn’t really hang out with the best crowd. That aside, this was most likely going to be a high schooler-dominant party. TJ knows for a fact Cyrus has never been to a party like this.

“Cyrus, you shouldn’t go to that party.” TJ stated.

Cyrus looked at TJ confused. “What? Why not?”

TJ closed his eyes and exhaled, “Cyrus, just…” he hesitated, “Don’t go. Please.”

“Why won’t you tell me why?” Cyrus pushed. Jonah, Andi and Buffy just looked back and forth between the two as they spoke.

“I know Reed better than just about anyone. This isn’t going to be a party with a few middle schoolers hanging out. This is going to be a high school party. Reed’s type of friends are not people you want to associate with, Cyrus. Trust me.” TJ kept eye contact the whole time he spoke. “I really don’t think you should go.”

Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows, “Is that what you think of me? I thought you believed in me. I thought you wanted to push me out of my comfort zone. You’ve believed in me even when my best friends didn’t.” Cyrus paused, looking to the other three at the table. “No offense, guys.” He said before turning his attention back to TJ.

“You’re the reason I got that muffin. You’re the reason I was brave enough to swing higher, you taught me how to do a somersault. You’re the reason I rode a dirt bike.”

He paused, realizing it sounded like he was confessing his love to TJ. Which wasn’t a total lie.

But Cyrus was upset right now! "Now you’re going to hold me back from going to a high school party because you think I can’t handle it?“ He scoffed.

TJ’s glared at him, "Cyrus, I’m just trying to protect you!”

“Well, maybe I don’t need to be protected!” Cyrus snapped. The look on TJ’s face broke Cyrus’ heart into a million pieces. TJ looked so sad and confused.

The other three looked at each other and back to Cyrus. Cyrus didn’t like the feeling of everybody looking at him. He started sweating and he felt like he was going to cry. “I need to go.”

Everyone watched as Cyrus rushed out of the Spoon. “I’ll go see if he’s okay.” Jonah said before chasing after Cyrus.

Buffy and Andi looked at TJ. “What the hell just happened?” Buffy said as more of a statement than a question.

TJ decided he may as well tell them everything. From Reed’s friends to TJ’s crush on Cyrus.

“I knew it!” Andi exclaimed victoriously. “You owe me $10, Buffy.” Buffy rolled her eyes in defeat.

 

—————————————–

 

Jonah finally caught up with Cyrus, “Hey, Cy-guy. You okay?” He said, placing a supportive hand on Cyrus’ shoulder, leading the both of them to a nearby bench and they sat down.

Cyrus exhaled and wiped the tears from his face. “If I’m being completely honest, no. I’m not. I’m a mess, Jonah.” He sniffled.

Jonah sat back, “We can talk about it, if you want?”

Cyrus laughed pathetically, “Jonah, that’s nice of you. But, I don’t want to trouble you with my stupid problems.”

“Cy, you’re problems aren’t stupid. In case you forgot, hi! I’m the biggest mess in Shadyside.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Cyrus, you can talk to me. You know that.”

Cyrus sighed, “I like TJ. Like like him.”

“Why haven’t you told him?” Jonah asked.

“ _Why haven’t I told him?_ ” Cyrus repeated. “I’m dating his friend! Who I’ve only known a couple weeks.”

“How long have you known you liked TJ?”

“Since before I even met Reed or knew he existed. I haven’t told TJ that I like him because I’m scared I might ruin everything if he doesn’t feel the same. Like, sometimes we have these moments where it feels like something is going to happen. Like something’s supposed to happen. But both of us are too scared to initiate it in fear of scaring each other off.” He paused, thinking for a moment.

“It’s what I think, anyway. I’m not sure how he feels. I don’t even know if he likes guys to begin with. It’s probably me just being hopeful.” He shrugged, sniffling.

“Cyrus,” Jonah started, “you’re a great guy. I’ve seen the way TJ looks at you, dude. I know I can be pretty oblivious, but I really think he likes you. It’s not just you being hopeful. We see it, too.”

Cyrus turned to face Jonah, “We?”

“Yeah, man!! Me and the girls have suspected something was already going on between the two of you. Actually, for a while now. We were all super surprised when you said you were going on a date with Reed and not TJ.”

Cyrus groaned as he buried his face in his hands, “What am I going to do, Jonah?” He asked after removing his hands.

“You’ll be okay, Cy.” He pulled Cyrus into a hug.

 

—————————————– 

 

_buzz buzz_

_buzz buzz_

Cyrus was sitting at this desk studying for an upcoming English essay when he heard his phone go off. He looked over to see a facetime call from Buffy. “Hey, Slayaaaa! What’s up?” He spoke into the screen when he answered.

“Hang on, let me add Andi.” Uh oh. After what happened earlier today at the Spoon, he knew this meant they were about to have something along the lines of an intervention. He didn’t like those. Not when he was the topic of the conversation.

A few seconds later, Cyrus sees Andi’s face pop up on the screen. “Hi, guys!” she beamed through the phone. Cyrus weakly raised a hand, keeping his best poker face to act casual, as if nothing had happened.

“So, what happened earlier today at the Spoon? What was that about?” Buffy asked. Wow, nothing like getting straight to the point, Cyrus thought.

“I don’t know, it’s nothing. What have you guys been up to?” He tried changing the subject.

“Wondering what happened at the Spoon, that’s what!” Buffy pressed.

“Cyrus, you can’t avoid this forever. We’re your best friends and we want to help in any way we can.” Andi chimed in.

He sighed, “ _Guys!_ ”

“ _Cyrus!_ ” The girls mocked in unison.

“Fine.” He grumbled. “But you can’t tell anyone. Especially not TJ.”

“We’d never do that to you and you know it.” Buffy scoffed.

“Well pardon me for being para-”

“Cyrus, stop stalling!” Andi interrupted. “What happened? Come on, Cy. Talk to us.” She said in a softer tone.

He sighed, “Okay, okay.” Cyrus paused. He already told Jonah, which means he probably already spoke to Buffy and Andi and they know. “I like TJ.”

Each time he said those words, it felt easier each time. He just wished he could say them to TJ.

“Cyrus, we been knew.” Buffy laughed, “We have for a while now. We’re asking what happened at The Spoon. Why did you yell at TJ and storm out?”

“To be completely honest, I don’t even know. It was just a lot? I don’t know what to do, guys. I like Reed, but just…not like that. It’s different with TJ.” He sighed. “Honestly, I only said yes to a date with Reed because he’s the first boy that’s ever shown interest in me like that and he’s a really good person.”

“Not according to TJ.” Andi said.

“No, Teej said Reed doesn’t have the greatest friends.” Cyrus said matter-of-factly. “I think he’s a good person.”

“I never thought these words would ever come out of my mouth, but, I think TJ’s right with this one. I wouldn’t go to that party.” Buffy was probably right. But how was Cyrus supposed to not go when he’s already given Reed a definite yes.

“I gotta go, guys. I need to think. I’ll talk to you later.” He said, hanging up before they could protest.

He looked at the text Reed sent him last night with the location/time of the party, then checked the time on his phone. The party started at 8pm and it was currently 7:32pm.

He told Reed he would go. It would be rude to just cancel last minute, and Cyrus didn’t want to lie. He _couldn’t_ lie. Cyrus was quite possibly the worst liar in existenc, so that was out of the question.

If he was going, he needed to get ready now. But should he? Cyrus felt like he was having a war with himself all in his head. Should he just not say anything to Reed and not show up? Should he try lying and make up an excuse as to why he can’t go?

Maybe he could just pick up his English accent, move to the UK, change his name and start a new life. _Eh, too problematic_ , he thought. He sat at the end of his bed, staring at the text with the information again.

Should he just go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there it be!! kskss
> 
> Will Cyrus go to the party?? Will he listen to his friends?? we may never know
> 
> jk just wait til the next chapter hskks ok ilyyy im gonna go eat lots of food and then stay up all night writing chapter three! yuhh


	3. Far Too Young To Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ reflects on his past with Reed and Lester. Meanwhile, Cyrus decides to live on the edge and go to this party everybody has told him to not attend. Afterall, dancing with danger is on his bucket list! What could go wrong?

TJ and Reed have known each other since second grade. As long as TJ has known him, Reed has always been a pretty reckless kid. He's a good person, he even does great in school and cares about his grades. There's just this one thing about him. He has this impulsive trait and he's a very _in the moment_ kind of person. Luckily, TJ has always been there to help balance out that impulsiveness. 

Some time back in the beginning of 7th grade, TJ came out to Reed. This inspired Reed to come out a month later, and they ended up dating a couple months after that. TJ and Reed were only out to each other, besides their best friend, Lester. The thought of it leaving their little circle was terrifying for the both of them. 

Unfortunately, Reed started hanging out with the wrong crowd around this time. TJ was constantly defending Reed and fighting his battles for him every time he turned around. One thing about TJ, he is very protective of the ones he loves. But because of this, TJ gained a bad reputation. TJ tried telling Reed he needed to stop hanging out with these people, but he would never listen. 

Not even a month into the relationship, TJ broke it off. He couldn't handle it. TJ hated the thought of everyone being scared of him. It made TJ feel horrible about himself. TJ wasn't a bad person, he was just trying to defend his boyfriend. But due to all the fights he was involved in to protect Reed, rumors started spreading and well, everyone knows what happens with rumors. False information is spread, and usually the good guy is made out to look like the bad guy.

This was unfortunately TJ's case. Eventually, he owned up to the title of the scary captain of the basketball team. His friends slowly stopped communicating with him and he started being a complete ass to anyone who even so much as looked in his direction. TJ was becoming depressed. Lonely. His grades were dropping and he barely felt like leaving the house half the time. 

He didn’t really hang out with Reed anymore because of his poor choices in friends, and he'd see Lester at lunch or in the halls. Other than that, he had the guys on the basketball team, which he never even really saw unless it was for practice.

Being protective must be a Kippen family trait because both TJ and Amber were cursed with it. Well, maybe not cursed, per se. It's a good trait to have. It just depends on the circumstances. In TJ’s case, he was protecting his boyfriend that was making bad choices, which ultimately backfired on TJ and caused bad rumors to spread about him. 

It wasn't until TJ met Cyrus that he let his guard down and started feeling like his old self again. Ever since that moment in the cafeteria when Buffy pulled him into his view, TJ knew he had it bad. He hadn't even known the boy 5 minutes and he felt his heart come to a complete halt. After talking to Cyrus more, he didn't know why but he felt like he could tell him anything. He couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing, but he decided to not stress over it too much. 

Funny thing about it, he didn't know why Cyrus even wanted to be near him, let alone talk to him. Especially considering the way TJ treated his best friend. TJ felt horrible for treating Buffy so badly. She didn’t even do anything. TJ was just in a really bad place. 

The more TJ thought about it, the more he realized he was changing because of Cyrus. He wanted to change _for_ him. He wanted to feel worthy of him. Cyrus was such a good person and TJ felt like the complete opposite. He really liked Cyrus and it didn't take too long for him to figure it out, but he could never think of the right way to tell him how he felt. 

TJ knew he needed to start by making amends with Buffy. Try to, at the very least. He could've just owned up to his mistakes and said, "I was wrong for what I did. You didn't deserve to be treated to badly. I'm really sorry." But, no. He knew he needed to make this the 'best apology ever'. So, he rapped an apology. Okay, yeah, really cheesy and cringe-y if he was being honest. But, Buffy accepted the apology and that’s all he cared about. 

Hell, if it wasn't for Cyrus, TJ wouldn't have accepted the fact that he had dyscalculia and gotten help so quickly. Cyrus made TJ want to be a better person. 

After TJ apologized to Buffy, him and Cyrus had this whole conversation about forgiveness, which got TJ thinking about Reed. He never stopped talking to Reed, they spoke over the phone sometimes. Mainly just TJ checking in to see if Reed was still alive half the time. He didn't really hang out with Reed and Lester anymore and if he was being completely honest with himself, he missed them. A lot. 

That being said, with TJ’s initiation, the trio finally started hanging out again. Granted, Reed was still hanging out with the wrong crowd, but TJ was just happy to be hanging out with his friends again. TJ had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let himself get involved with Reed's new friends or try defending him. Which, thankfully, TJ was able to keep that promise to himself. 

After hanging out with his friends again like old times and getting along, he decided he wanted Cyrus to meet his friends. Lester, he didn't really have to worry about. However, he made Reed promise to not embarrass him or do some dumb shit to scare Cyrus off. 

Reed could pick up that TJ had a crush on this Cyrus kid before he even met him. _What was so special about him?_ Reed wondered. Whatever it was, TJ was clearly smitten over this kid and Reed loved picking on him about it. 

It wasn't until Reed actually met this Cyrus boy that he understood exactly what TJ was talking about. He couldn't help but flirt with this guy! He had a feeling TJ might catch on since Reed was cursed with being the most obvious flirter possibly in existence. If TJ did catch on, he never said anything to Reed about it. Reed figured TJ would've said something by now if he had a crush on this guy, so Reed decided to go for it! 

He saw him in the halls of the school quite often and Cyrus would hang out with the trio every once and a while. Sure, he didn't know Cyrus that well, but he couldn’t help but like him! It was practically impossible to not crush on this kid. 

When TJ found out Reed asked Cyrus out on a date, he was furious. He called Reed and let him have it. TJ couldn't fathom how Reed could do something like this to him. Sure, as Reed pointed out, TJ never actually said the words "I have a crush on Cyrus," or "Hey I really like this guy, please don't go crushing on him or whatever." and yeah, TJ was mad at himself for it. 

He should’ve just told them. But he didn’t expect his friends to go chasing after him! Especially not Reed. He has yet to clean up his act and TJ knew Reed wasn't good for Cyrus. He could not let Cyrus get mixed up in Reed's crowd of friends. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to Cyrus.

 

TJ was walking home from The Spoon as all of this went through his mind. All of this has been bugging TJ for a while and he’s been avoiding thinking about everything. He guessed Cyrus struck a nerve when he said he didn’t need protecting. 

_"Now you’re going to hold me back from going to a high school party because you think I can’t handle it?“_ and _“Well, maybe I don’t need to be protected!”_ kept playing through TJ’s mind.

 

He didn’t know what he said that would’ve made Cyrus snap and leave. He was just trying to warn him about Reed and his friends. Why wouldn’t he listen? TJ knows Reed better than Cyrus does! Why was he so hellbent on believing Reed was a good person and would never hurt him? To be fair, he’s never told Cyrus the whole story. He couldn’t. He wasn’t ready to out himself yet. But why wouldn’t Cyrus just take TJ’s word for it?

TJ is breaks himself out of his thoughts when he opens his front door and is greeted by Amber. 

“Where are you going?” He asked, noticing she was dressed up as if she was going to a party. This was perfect. He had a sinking feeling that Cyrus might end up at the party anyway despite TJ telling him it’s a bad idea. Buffy and Andi told him they’d tell Cyrus to not go, but something was just telling TJ to go anyway. Better to be safe than sorry, he guessed.

Amber raised a suspicious eyebrow, “A party? What’s it to you?”

“I need to go with you. Cyrus is going to be there.” 

A huge grin grew on her face and she scoffed, "Cyrus Goodman? Attending a High School party? Nice try, TJ."

"Amber! I'm serious!” He said before giving her a quick rundown of the recent events between Cyrus and Reed. 

Amber knit her eyebrows, "Wait, so, you're serious?" she questioned after a moment.

"Yes! I can't make this shit up, Amber." He pointed out.

She sighed, caving in. "I guess not. Fine you can come with. But if you're not ready in like 5 minutes, I'm leaving without you. And if he’s not there, I’m kicking your ass."

“I’ll take my chances.” He remarked sarcastically before quickly running up to his room and throwing on a black t-shirt, a hoodie, and light denim jeans. He ran back downstairs and Amber was standing by the front door tapping her foot impatiently. "Took you long enough!"

"Let's go."

 

\---------------------------------------

 

It was 7:32pm and Cyrus was sitting criss-cross at the end of his bed, contemplating whether or not he should go to the party. He really wanted to go and give Reed a chance. But at the same time, everybody was telling him it was probably a bad idea. 

His phone buzzed with a notification, snapping him out of his contemplation.

**reed:** ill be at the party in a few to help set up snacks n stuff.   
**reed:** come early if u want. cant wait for u to meet my friendsss xx

Cyrus stared at the text for a moment. Okay, the party can't be that bad, can it? Reed seems nice and if something were to happen, he'd get him out of there. Reed is a good person! Okay, Cyrus. Shake it off. TJ was just overreacting. 

"Alright, Cyrus." He said to himself, waving off the tiny voice in the back of his head telling him it’s a terrible idea he will regret for the rest of his life. "We're going to a party."

 

8:16pm, Cyrus knocks on the door. He stood there with his arms crossed, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. He forgot a jacket and didn't realize it until he was halfway to the party. The second Cyrus left his house, all the pros and cons of attending this party flooded his brain. That is, until the door is opened and he meets eyes with a brunette boy who looked to be a freshman.  
"Hey, you must be Cyrus!!" He greeted enthusiastically. 

Cyrus greeted him with a nervous smile, "Yup! That's uh- that's me!" He laughed, trying to hide how anxious he was. 

"Come on in, bro!" He said, stepping aside while Cyrus entered the house. "Hey, Reed! Your boy is here!" The brunette boy called. 

Reed came walking out of the kitchen, "Cy!! You made it!" He exclaimed over the loud music as he wrapped Cyrus in a hug. 

"Hey, Reed! Uh- there's uh, a lot of people here!"

Reed chuckled, "It's a party, what'd you expect?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

Cyrus shrugged and Reed led them over to a couch where a few of Reed's friends were sat. 

"Guys! This is my boyfriend, Cyrus. Cyrus, this is Connor, Lilly, and you already know Lester." The three strangers greeted him with hi’s and hello's and Cyrus waved in response. Besides Lester, they looked to be in 9th/10th grade, he noted.

Cyrus and Reed sat on the couch next to a couple of Reed’s friends. Quite surprisingly, the conversation was going really great! They started off talking about music and then at some point the subject was changed to stuff Cyrus wasn't familiar with, so he kept to himself for the most part after that.

He heard the door open and someone greet an ‘Amber’, so he turned his head to see her and someone with their hoodie up walk in. Cyrus looked over at Reed, "I'll be right back."

Reed glanced at him, nodding quickly before turning his attention back to the conversation. Cyrus got up and walked over to Amber.

"Amber, hi!" He beamed.

The kid in the hoodie walked away before he could catch a glimpse of their face, "Hey, Cyrus! I didn't know you'd be at this party!" She pulled him in for a quick hug, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh! I'm uh, I'm here with my...boyfriend!" He hesitated, gesturing toward Reed sitting on the couch.

Her eyes widen, "TJ was serious? You're dating Reed?" she grimaced. "I'm surprised you would want to date someone like him."

He knit his eyebrows, "What do you mean?" 

She sighed, "Not my story to tell. Just be careful, okay, Cy?"

He scoffed irritatedly, "Amber!"

"Bye, Cy!" She chirped innocently before walking over to the kid in the hoodie, who had his face down looking at his phone. Cyrus rolled his eyes, walking back over to Reed and sat down. If he didn't feel anxious before, he did now. 

Maybe TJ _wasn't_ overreacting. To be fair, TJ has known Reed practically their whole lives. But Cyrus has yet to see what's so bad about Reed or his friends! Cyrus was the type of person that gave somebody a chance or two to redeem themselves instead of judging them based off of what other people have said about them. 

Nobody is telling Cyrus what Reed supposedly did wrong, so why would he judge him for something he doesn’t know about? Reed is the only boy that has ever liked Cyrus as more than a friend. He’s not just going to throw this away! Okay, maybe a bad way of thinking. But Cyrus didn’t want to think about that right now. For now, he wanted to try and have fun for once.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

TJ was listening to music on his phone and scrolling through instagram, looking up every now and again to check on Cyrus. He took out one of his earbuds when he noticed Amber approaching him. “What?” He said after a second of silence.

She looked at him disapprovingly. “If you’re gonna be at this party, at least interact with people? Like maybe, I dunno, Cyrus?”

He squinted at her irritatedly, “Amber, I told you!” he said in a panic. “Cyrus can’t know I’m here. Neither can Reed or Lester.”

“Speaking of, I thought you, Lester and Reed were all buddies again? Why was Cyrus invited and not you? Or just both?” Amber asked, genuinely confused.

“Hmm, maybe because I’m his ex and it would be kind of awkward to bring your ex to the same party you’re introducing your friends and your current boyfriend to.” He retorted. 

“Yikes,” Amber said, raising her eyebrows. “Somebody is jealous.”

“Am not!” He said, an octave too high. He cleared his throat when Amber replied with a knowing look before rolling his eyes, “Okay maybe a little. Listen, I can’t worry about that right now. I’m here to protect Cyrus if need be. I’m not here to socialize.”

Amber shrugged and there was a silence, “You should probably go back to your friends before you draw attention to me.” he said.

Amber rolled her eyes, “Good luck.” She whispered before walking off.

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll need it.” He mumbled quietly to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there it is!! hope you guys liked it! the next chapter should be up on Saturday or Sunday, i already have most of it written out. 
> 
> also, if you guys dont mind, please let me know if you prefer longer or shorter chapters and i’ll have a better idea on how i’ll write future chapters! xx


	4. when the party's over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus regrets not listening to TJ and his friends about the party.

At some point in the living room, the group decided to make their way down to the basement. If Cyrus heard right, the music mixed with a whole room of people talking was giving Connor a headache, so they decided it’d be quieter down there.

So now, here Cyrus was. Sitting on a couch in a basement. At a party. _Totally_ fun. Okay, yeah, he was completely lying to himself at this point. He felt very awkward now. Out of place, really. Cyrus really just wanted to leave at this point. He started to catch onto some weird vibes from Reed's friends and he did not like it.

“So, new kid. You’ve been pretty quiet. Tell us about yourself!” Lilly said.

Cyrus had zoned out so he didn’t realize they were talking to him. Reed lightly nudged his arm, “Cy?”

Cyrus shot his head up and looked at Reed, “Hmm?” He looked around at everyone looking at him expectantly. “Oh, sorry I wasn’t paying attention. What were we talking about?”

Reed placed a hand on Cyrus’ shoulder, “You okay?”

Before Cyrus was able to respond, Lilly spoke up. "Yeah, man. You’re almost as quiet as Lester. You look like you're on edge. You good?" Out of the few kids in there, all eyes were on Cyrus.

"Uh- um, yeah! I'm fine. Great, actually!" Cyrus laughed nervously, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"I’d say it's about time to de-stress." Connor chuckled, pulling a small ziplock baggie out of his hoodie pocket. The group clapped at the sight and Cyrus knit his eyebrows together.

"Who wants the first hit??" Connor announces. Lilly grins before adding, "I say we let new kid take the first hit."

"Uhh, hit? I'm not really a violent person. I'd rather not hit anything." He felt very out of place now. What was going on? 

The group erupted in laughter, "You're funny, Cyrus!" Lilly said.

When he didn't laugh, she looked confused, "Wait, you're serious? Dude, we're not hitting things." She said, taking the joint Connor just finished rolling from his hands, "We're smoking weed. You never smoked before or something?"

Cyrus’ eyes widen as he stood up from the couch, looking at Reed. "I- um, I actually have to go. So...thanks, but no thanks." 

"Cyrus, wait!" Reed stood up, grabbing his wrist gently. "Come on, it's just weed. Have you really never smoked before?"

Cyrus looked at Reed in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? No. No, I haven’t smoked before. Nor would I like to! And quite honestly, I don’t even want to be around anything happening right now.” 

“Cyrus, you’re overreacting.” Reed sniggered.

Cyrus glared at him, “Overreacting? TJ was right about you. I should’ve never come.” Reed knit his eyebrows, confused.

Cyrus squinted his eyes at Reed, “W-wait a minute. Reed, are you high right now?”

A stupid smile grew on Reed’s face and he let out the funniest laugh that Cyrus decided to ignore, “You’re high, aren’t you?”

Reed stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact at all costs. The silence spoke volumes to Cyrus.

“I- wow. I can’t be here. I need to leave.” He turned sharply on his heel, rushing up the stairs.

Reed looked back at his friends, "Thanks a lot, assholes." He said before chasing after Cyrus. "Cyrus, wait! Please!" He called, running up the stairs.

Cyrus reached the living room when Reed finally caught up to him, putting his hand on his shoulder and turning him around, "Cyrus, please don't g-"

"I'm done!" Cyrus shouted, jerking his shoulder out of Reed's grip as if his touch burned his skin.

" _We're_ done, Reed." He said weakly, on the verge of tears. Cyrus felt dizzy. He felt as if the walls were closing in on him. His chest was tight and he just knew if he stayed a moment longer he'd burst into a fit of tears. 

He rushed to the front door, Reed not far behind him. As soon as Reed had one foot out the door, somebody grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back into the house. 

Reed turned around to meet eyes with TJ. "TJ, what the hell are you doing h-"

"That doesn't matter. He told you, Reed. He's done. Leave him alone." He snarled, practically burning a hole right through Reed with his death stare.

A stream of tears were falling down Reed’s face, “Teej, bro, come on man! Please don’t-”

“Reed, listen man, I don’t know what the hell you or you friends did this time, but I swear to god if you hurt Cyrus in anyway, you’re dead. I promise you that.” TJ stated, poking Reed’s chest with his index finger so hard that it knocked Reed back a little bit.

“Dammit!” Reed shouted as TJ slammed the door shut behind him, jogging down to the end of the driveway. He looked both ways of the sidewalk for Cyrus. Oddly, he was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go so qu-

He cut himself off mid-thought, “The swings.” TJ whispered to himself. Right after the words left his mouth he darted in the direction of the park. _Please be okay, Cyrus._

\---------------------------------

TJ arrived at the park, looking frantically for Cyrus. Still no sign of him. He wasn’t at the swings or any park bench. If he wasn’t at the park, where was he? Alarm bells went off in TJ’s head and the worst thoughts took over his mind.

The darker it got, the colder it got. He remembered noticing Cyrus wasn’t wearing a jacket when he left the party, so wherever he was, he had to be cold. TJ jumped at the sudden sound of his phone before looking at the contact name, “Cyrus.” He breathed.

TJ tapped the green icon, “Cyrus?” 

“Hey, TJ.” Cyrus replied.

“Where are you?” He asked quickly.

Cyrus hesitated for a moment, “What do you mean where am _I_? I’m at your house, but you’re not here?”

TJ opened his mouth to say something but was quickly taken aback, “M-my house? What are you doing there?” he asked, starting in the direction of his house.

He heard Cyrus sniffle, indicating he’s been crying. “What _aren’t_ you doing here? I’m here so you can tell me ‘I told you so’.” he laughed lamely.

“Listen, I’ll be there in a minute, okay? Stay warm.”

“Actually, I’m inside. Your parents let me in.”

“Oh. Alright, Underdog, I’ll see you in a few.”

 

\----------------------------------

 

TJ opens his front door and is greeted by his mother, “Hi, sweetheart! Cyrus is upstairs in your room. He’s welcome to spend the night, as always.” She reminded him.

“Thanks, mom.” He smiled gratefully before making his way up the stairs.

He opened the door and sees Cyrus already asleep on top of the still made bed, wearing a pair of his house pants and one of his hoodies. He smiled goofily at the sight. As much as he was worried about Cyrus, he was glad he was safe and out of the cold. He walked over to his drawers, grabbing a hoodie and sweatpants before padding off to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change. 

 

TJ walked back to his room, closing the door as quietly as he could before turning around to see Cyrus sitting up.

“Well, look who’s finally awake.” He teased.

Cyrus laughed, “Sorry, I’m exhausted. Oh, I uh, I kinda stole your clothes.” he pointed out.

“You say that like you’ve never had to borrow my clothes to sleep in before.” TJ laughed softly. “You know I don’t care.” He said, sitting down next to Cyrus.

“Where were you?” Cyrus hesitated. 

“What do you mean?”

“You weren’t here when I got here.” He stated obviously, “Where were you?” 

TJ could feel his face turn pink. How was he supposed to explain this without A) sounding like a creepy stalker; B) revealing his crush on him; or C) revealing his crush on him while simultaneously sounding like a creepy stalker.

“I- uh, I was at the park.” He settled with. It wasn’t a complete lie.

Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows, “Why?” he pushed. 

TJ laughed lightly, “You’re not letting me get away with this one easily, are you?” Cyrus gave a half smile, shrugging.

“I was at the party.” He admitted lamely. 

“Wait...so, the party you warned me about, you attended?” Cyrus asked.

TJ shook his head, “It’s not like that.” He sighed. “It’s...more complicated.”

Cyrus softened his expression. “Can’t possibly be more complicated than what’s going through my head.” He joked, “You can tell me anything, TJ.”

“Something told me you were going to the party. When I found out Amber was going, I practically begged her to let me tag along. I only wanted to go to make sure Reed or his friends didn’t pull some stupid stunt. Which, sounds like they did from what I saw.”

Cyrus blushed at the thought of TJ going through all that trouble just to protect him. He didn’t expect TJ to do that, especially after the way Cyrus stormed out of The Spoon only a few hours before the party.

“Oh.” He started, realizing that TJ is the kid in the hoodie that was with Amber. “So, yeah, obviously I went to the party. I should’ve listened to you. I’m really sorry for not trusting your judgment. Actually, let me rephrase. It’s not that I didn’t trust or believe you, it’s just…” He trailed off before finishing his sentence. 

“I’ve never had a guy like me as more than a friend before, and I didn’t want to mess it up. I wanted to give him an honest chance like I did with you and Amber! I guess this time I was wrong. Way wrong.” He chuckled to himself, staring at the pattern of the blankets on the bed. 

“They brought weed and when I made it clear I was uncomfortable with it, Reed acted like he was shocked I’d never smoked before. He was like _‘Cyrus, you’re overreacting’_.” He said with his best high Reed impression, causing TJ to laugh and Cyrus joined in. “I don’t know. All I know is I can’t see him for a while. I hope I made that clear when I left.”

TJ placed a comforting hand on Cyrus’ shoulder, “I think you did. And if not, don’t worry. I’ll handle it. If he makes fun of you or tries coaxing you into doing something you’re clearly not comfortable with, he’s not the guy for you.”

“Thanks, Teej.” Cyrus smiled before resting his head on TJ’s shoulder. “So, you still haven’t told me. Now that I see the type of friends Reed has, what is it that he did to hurt you?”

“Um, it’s kind of complicated. Not really, actually. I don’t know. The only other person that knows about this entire situation is Amber.” TJ exhaled uncomfortably. Is this really how he was going to come out to Cyrus? 

“You can tell me anything, Teej. You don’t have to right now, but when you’re ready, I’m here if you want to talk about it.” Cyrus said, wrapping his arms around TJ’s waist.

TJ really hoped Cyrus couldn’t feel how fast his heart was beating right now. “No, I want to tell you. I think I’m ready. Just please, don’t tell anybody. The only other person that knows about this is Amber.”

Cyrus lifted his head from TJ’s shoulder and unwrapped his arms from around him, moving to sit in front of TJ criss-cross style, waiting patiently for TJ to speak.

TJ took a deep breath, “Reed is my ex boyfriend.” He finally admitted.

Cyrus’ jaw dropped a bit as he scoffed, “You dated Reed? Wait- you like guys?”

“Geez, could you be any louder about it?” TJ sarcastically remarked.

Cyrus immediately put his hands over his mouth, “Sorry! I just...didn’t think you were gay.” He said quietly. “I thought your middle name was heterosexual.” He joked, causing them both to laugh. 

TJ nodded, “Yeah. I’m gay.” He felt as if a ton of weights were lifted from his shoulders. 

“TJ!” Cyrus beamed, giving TJ a quick hug. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Especially after I came out to you at the swings.”

There it was. _That_ follow up question was exactly why TJ was so scared and hesitant to come out to Cyrus. He was pretty sure Cyrus just ended things with Reed. This was the worst time to confess his crush. But he couldn’t really give Cyrus an answer without confessing.

“I would’ve told you after you told me at the swings. I was actually going to. But you told me about your date with Reed and I didn’t want to ruin that.” TJ had no idea how he was speaking so smoothly. Everything was just coming out like word vomit. He looked anywhere but at Cyrus and he picked at the hem of his hoodie.

Cyrus tilted his head to the side curiously, knitting his eyebrows, “How would you coming out to me effect mine and Reed’s date?” His voice got quieter as he finished the sentence, slowly realizing what TJ meant. 

TJ looked up, locking eyes with him. They sat in silence, studying each others face. It was like they both knew what should come next but they were both too scared to make the first move. 

As if on queue, Cyrus’ phone started ringing and they were both startled by the sudden noise. “Crap, it’s my mom. I need to let her know I’m spending the night.”

TJ just cleared his throat and nodded, making a barely audible “Okay.” His cheeks were pink, there was no hiding it. And if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, he’s pretty sure he saw a little tint of pink on Cyrus’ face. 

What just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't really have any notes for this chapter klsdkl hope you liked it!! chapter 5 should hopefully be up by next saturday/sunday!! xx


	5. Falling for U

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus rested his elbow on the table, raising the menu up to his face as if he was trying to hide.
> 
> Buffy looked at Cyrus and shook her head. Could he be any more obvious?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title inspo:  
> Falling for U - Peachy! & mxmtoon

It’s late Tuesday afternoon and Cyrus was laying on his bed with his earbuds in, listening to his ‘sad boi’ playlist on Spotify while staring at the ceiling. He hasn’t talked to TJ since Saturday night after the party. He wasn’t sure how to start a conversation with TJ right now. It was all kind of awkward. He supposed TJ was in the same boat, since he hasn’t tried initiating a conversation either.

But what did that mean? If TJ wasn’t making attempts to text Cyrus, did that mean he thought something was supposed to happen, too? Was there a possibility that TJ liked him back? Cyrus shook his head quickly at the thought, mentally waving it off. No way. But, then again, he recalls TJ telling him why he didn’t come out to him sooner.

_“I would’ve told you after you told me at the swings. I was actually going to. But you told me about your date with Reed and I didn’t want to ruin that.”_

What did that mean? Cyrus had a feeling he knew, but he was so scared of misunderstanding it somehow and ruining everything. But what else could that possibly entail? 

TJ _did_ say he was gay. But that didn’t mean he liked Cyrus! _But_ , he _did_ say the reason he didn’t come out to Cyrus sooner was because he didn’t want to ruin whatever Cyrus had going on with Reed. He wondered what TJ was doing right now. Was he sitting in his bed thinking about the same thing? Why hasn’t he tried initiating a conversation? Was he just as nervous as Cyrus was? Is he afraid he made things awkward? Or did nothing happen at all and it was all just a fever dream Cyrus had when he fell asleep before TJ got home that night? 

He jumped at the sudden _ping!_ that came from his phone.

 _Please be TJ. Please be TJ. Please be TJ._

He picked his phone up immediately, only to read _‘GHC’_. He loves his friends, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed it wasn’t TJ. He swiped the notification, typing in his passcode to unlock his phone. 

**andi-man:** hey guys! u guys have plans this weekend?

 **cy-guy:** no, but are we about to? sjslfjs

 **slayer:** ^

 **andi-man:** well

 **andi-man:** amber invited me to the fair this weekend

 **andi-man:** it’s a date and we wanted to know if u guys wanna come for like a triple date kinda thinggg 

**andi-man:** buffy can bring marty and cy can bring reed

 **slayer:** oh wiggg lemme text marty 

He stared at Andi’s last text for a moment, hesitating to respond. He’s yet to tell them about what happened Saturday night. He hasn’t even told them that he went to the party. This should be an interesting conversation. 

**andi-man:** cyrus? 

**cy-guy:** i think i’ll have to pass on that one sorry

 **andi-man:** why? is everything ok?

 **slayer:** marty said he can come

 **slayer:** yeah, everything good cy?

 **cy-guy:** i mean like

 **cy-guy:** idk

 **cy-guy:** its just…

 **cy-guy:** complicated

 **slayer:** cyrus what’s going on?

Cyrus set his phone on his bed and stared at the ceiling again. He really didn’t want to have this conversation right now. 

**slayer:** you’ve been acting mopey the past couple of days and we’ve been waiting for you to tell us what’s wrong.

 **andi-man:** spill

 **cy-guy:** well, reed and i broke up.

 **cy-guy:** well actually i broke up with him

 **cy-guy:** i think i did, at least. i hope he got the message.

 **slayer:** im sorry, what?? 

**andi-man:** when did this happen?? 

**cy-guy:** saturday night.

 **cy-guy:** i may or may not have gone to the party everybody told me to not go to.

 **cy-guy:** i may or may not have regretted it.

 **cy-guy:** and i may or may not have stormed out of the party breaking up with reed, ran straight to TJ’s house so he could tell me ‘i told you so’ fkjslkfjs

 **slayer:** wh-

 **andi-man:** and you didnt tell us sooner...why?? 

**cy-guy:** ok this is too much to type and im gonna get my thoughts all mixed up ksdfjsfdl

 **cy-guy:** spoon in 10?

 **slayer:** bet im already omw 

**andi-man:** see u there ig

 

———————————

The trio was sat in a booth tucked away in a far corner of the diner. 

“Okay!” Buffy exclaimed, “Spill!”

The girls sat across from Cyrus, looking at him expectantly, but patiently. 

“Well, okay. So...long story short,” He started. He must have forgotten the _short story_ part of that  
_‘long story short’_. He continued on, telling them how he ran into Amber at the party, TJ was there to rescue him, the weed, even telling them what happened at TJ’s house.

By the time he finished, both girls’ jaws dropped dramatically. “Jesus Christ!” Andi scoffed.

“Wow.” Buffy said, raising her eyebrows before softening her expression, “Well, I’m not really happy you went to the party, but, I am really proud of you for standing up for yourself, Cyrus.” Andi glanced at Buffy, nodding in agreement and looking at Cyrus again. 

“What’s this about you and TJ?” Andi added, wiggling her eyebrows.

Cyrus’ face became red as a tomato, “Nothing! Nothing happened. I think. I don’t think anything happened? I don’t know! I’m really confused. It was just like...a very intense or...awkward silence. Not bad tense. Like...it felt like something was supposed to happen? I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it too much.”

“Cyrus!” Andi placed a supportive hand over Cyrus’, “He said he didn’t come out to you sooner because he didn’t want to upset you or whatever because you seemed so happy with Reed and he didn’t want to mess that up for you. He likes you, Cyrus!! You’re blind if you don’t see it.”

Buffy nods, “He literally went to a party undercover just to protect you. You really need to talk to him.” 

Andi’s face lights up as an idea pops into her head, “In fact, you should invite him to the fair! Me, Amber, Buffy, Marty, you and TJ!”

Cyrus’ eyes practically popped out of his head, “Are you crazy?! That’s supposed to be like...a triple date or whatever! I can _not_ invite TJ! I can’t just ask him out after _that_!”

“Just tell him you want to go but you don’t want to be the fifth wheel.” Buffy stated simply, shrugging.

“Huh, I guess that would be fine. Okay, yeah! I’m gonna ask him next time I talk to him.”

Andi raised an eyebrow, “And when will that be?”

Buffy smirked, tapping Andi’s upper arm, “Looks like it’ll be right now.” She gestured toward the door when she heard a _ding_ , indicating somebody entered the diner. 

Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his head to see what his friends were looking at, only to find TJ walking to the counter to take his order, only a few feet from their table.

Cyrus rested his elbow on the table, raising the menu up to his face as if he was trying to hide.

Buffy looked at Cyrus and shook her head. Could he be any more obvious?

“TJ, hi!” Andi waved.

“Hey, guys!” TJ greeted with a big smile. He raised an eyebrow at Cyrus, who still had the menu covering his face. “You find what you’re ordering, yet?”

Cyrus gulped, slowly lowering the menu on the table and he laughed nervously. “TJ!” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing, “Hey! No, I heard there was some new stuff on the menu, figured I’d take a look.” He lied. Fun fact about Cyrus we’ve already established, he’s a bad liar.

TJ played along with a puzzled look, “Funny, I don’t remember Amber saying anything about that.” He shrugged. He knew Cyrus was lying, but it was cute.

“Oh, darn…hah.” Cyrus scratched the back of his neck.

Buffy and Andi looked at each other, eyes wide. “Okay,” Buffy drawled, “I think we’ll leave you two alone. Andi and I have to go do something at Andi Shack. See you!” She said as her and Andi slid out of the booth.

Cyrus stopped them, “Uhh, wait! Don’t you need my help?” He gave them a look like _‘please don’t leave me alone, this is really awkward.’_

Buffy picked up on it, but smiled. “No, we got it. Love you!”

“Bye, Cy! Bye, TJ!” Andi said as they left.

“Can I sit?” TJ asked carefully. Cyrus sighed in defeat and nodded. He watched as TJ slid into the booth where his friends sat a few seconds ago. “I can leave-” 

“No!” Cyrus said a little too quickly. “You don’t have to leave. I’m just being weird.” Cyrus laughed, shrugging it off.

“No, you’re not.” TJ replied. “Is this about Saturday night?”

Oh. Well, nothing like getting straight to the point, Cyrus thought. “Y-yes?” He replied quietly, staring at his hands on the table.

TJ exhaled through his nose, “Listen, Cyrus,” he started, looking at Cyrus’ face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable when I told you I like you. I knew I should’ve just kept it to myself, I shouldn’t have told you. I’m really sorry. I hope you’ll still be friends with m-”

“Wait,” He interrupted, “so you _do_ like me back?”

TJ blinked. “Y- Well, yeah.” he shook his head, puzzled, “Wait- _back_?”

A smile tugged at the corners of Cyrus’ lips and his cheeks turned pink, “Yeah. I like you TJ. A lot. I’ve actually wanted to tell you for a while.”

“Why didn’t you?” TJ asked.

“Why didn’t _you_?” Cyrus threw back at him. 

“I already told you why. You told me about Reed.” He chuckled.

 

“Oh, right.” Cyrus thought for a minute, “Well, I didn’t tell you because I was scared I’d ruin our friendship and I’d rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.” He admitted sheepishly.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you either, Underdog.” TJ smiled softly, placing his hand over one of Cyrus’ on the table.

There was a comfortable silence until the waitress brought TJ’s baby taters to their table.

“So,” Cyrus started when the waitress walked away, “Andi said her, Amber, Buffy and Marty are going to the fair on Friday. Kind of like a double date thing. She invited me and said I could bring somebody. You want to go with me?”

“Are you asking me on a date?” TJ raised an eyebrow.

Cyrus shrugged cutely, “Maybe.” TJ bit back a wide smile and shook his head.

“Of course I’ll go, Cy.” He replied before popping a baby tater in his mouth.

“It’s a date!” Cyrus beamed.

———————————

Cyrus ran upstairs and plopped on his bed, fumbling with his earbuds trying to untangle them. Once they were finally untangled, he plugged them into his phone and opened the FaceTime app. He called started a group call for the GHC. 

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Curse his internet for deciding to run slow today!! He had important news to tell his best friends! 

Finally, he saw _‘connecting…’_ and after a couple of seconds of it connecting, he saw two faces on the screen. 

“Hey!” Andi greeted.

“How did it go with TJ?” Buffy asked.

“Oh, it was pretty chill. It’s cool. We’re chill.” He had no idea why he was doing that, he just felt like it. He was happy! 

Buffy raised an eyebrow, failing to stop herself from laughing. “Uhh, Cyrus? Are you okay? Are you being held hostage? Blink twice if you’re in danger.”

Cyrus laughed, “I’m fine, I’m just joking!”

Andi knit her eyebrows, “So did things _not_ go good with TJ or…”

“They did! More than good. Great, actually! In fact, guess who has a date to the fair on Friday?”

Both girls smiled from ear to ear and squeaked, “Awww, Cyrus!!”

“See, Cy! We _told_ you!” Andi giggled.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes playfully.

Buffy’s expression softened, “I’m so happy for you, Cyrus!”

“Me too.” He chuckled softly.

“Cyrus, sweetheart! Dinner!” He heard his mom call from downstairs. 

“Ah, crap. I’ve gotta go. Dinner. Talk to you guys tomorrow?”

Both girls nodded and they said their goodbyes before hanging up.

As soon as Cyrus stood up he heard a _ping!_ come from his phone. He picked it up, smiling. The smile quickly fell when he saw who the text was from.

Reed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo a carnival date for tyrus ambi and muffyyyyy hehehe i cant wait to finish chapter 6! hope you guys are enjoying reading as much as I am having fun writing hhesdkdsl


	6. Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Cyrus? Please say something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title inspo:  
> Fools by Troye Sivan

Cyrus stood there staring at the text notification on is screen. He hasn’t talked to Reed since the party. All he really knows is Reed is the last person he wants to hear from right now. He backed up to sit on his bed for a second to think. As soon as he put his thumb back on the screen to swipe the notification, he heard his mom call his name for the second time to come down for dinner. He squeezed his eyes shut and put his phone on the charger and set it on the nightstand before going downstairs.

Cyrus couldn’t stop thinking about the notification at the dinner table. What did Reed want? It’s been a few days since the party, why is Reed just now getting around to contacting him? Cyrus really didn’t like drama, especially when he was part of it. For some reason, it’s so much easier to solve your friends’ conflicts rather than your own.

It must have been obvious something was on Cyrus’ mind. His mother & stepdad shared a concerned look before turning their attention back to Cyrus. 

“Sweetheart, are you alright? You’ve barely touched your dinner.” Leslie asked after a moment. 

Cyrus sighed, “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just not really hungry.”

“Do you need to talk about it?” Leslie offered.

“No, mom. Actually, if it’s okay, I really need to go call somebody. May I be excused?” 

“Put foil over your plate and put it in the fridge for later, okay?” She smiled softly. “If you need to talk later…” She trailed off.

He nodded, standing up and sliding his chair back under the table and doing as he was told. As soon as he finished, he rushed upstairs and took his phone off the charger. He sat on the side of his bed and took a deep breath with his eyes closed before unlocking his phone and opening his texts.

 **reed:** cyrus, i’m so sorry about saturday night. i didn’t mean for any of that to happen. i didn’t know it was going to happen. i know you’re upset, that’s why i haven’t said anything to you for the past couple days, i figured you needed some time. i really don’t want things to end like this. ily cyrus, please call me xx

Cyrus set his phone on his bed and rubbed his temples frustratedly. So according to Reed, they weren’t broken up. Cyrus just wanted this to end. He didn’t want to talk to Reed. He has a date with TJ this weekend! As much as he didn’t want to, he knew he had to do this sooner rather than later. 

Cyrus took a deep breath before tapping the the call button. With every ring, he got more anxious and more convinced to hang it up and just avoid him. But Cyrus knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost didn’t hear Reed pick up, “Cyrus?”

The sudden voice almost made Cyrus jump out of his skin. “R-Reed. Hi- hey.” He said shakily.

“Listen...Cyrus, I am so sorry about everything.” His voice broke with every other word he spoke. Cyrus could tell he must have been crying. “I never wanted that to happen, I shouldn’t have smoked, I shouldn’t have said you were overreacting, I should’ve stood up for you. I am _so_ sorry, I can’t express it enough.”

There was a silence. Cyrus just sat there with tears stinging his eyes. What is he supposed to say? He’s never broken up with anybody before! He feels so bad because Reed seems to be genuinely sorry and owning up to his mistake. But even still, Cyrus wasn’t anything like Reed’s friends. He didn’t even know what they were talking about half the time. He felt so out of place. Staying with Reed would break both of their hearts in the end and that was something Cyrus did not want.

The more Cyrus thought about it, he kind of used Reed. He likes TJ. He has this whole time. He was hoping that by dating Reed, what he once thought to be unrequited feelings would go away and he would move on. He never expected TJ would actually like him back! Sure, he _hoped_ he would. But of course, he finds out TJ likes him back _after_ he started dating Reed. Curse Cyrus and his oblivious gay brain! 

Now he’s about to break somebody’s heart and he feels so bad. Cyrus has never broken up with somebody before. The mere thought of it gave him anxiety and filled him with guilt. 

“Cyrus? Please say something.”.

“I’m sorry, Reed. I forgive you, I really do. Thank you for apologizing. _But_...” He thought hard about how he was going to word what he was about to say.

He heard Reed sigh through the phone, “It’s okay, Cyrus. You don’t have to say it. I fucked up. I don’t deserve you and you deserve way better than me.”

“Reed, stop that. You’re a great guy. Sure, you made a mistake. But you’re not the only one.” Cyrus paused before continuing. If he was going to break up with Reed, he at least wanted him to know it wasn’t completely his fault. Cyrus had fault in this, too, and he wasn’t about to let Reed talk himself down and take full blame!

“I messed up too, okay? This is going to sound bad, but it’s the truth and you deserve to know. I like TJ and I have for a while now. Before me and you even started dating. I was hoping that by dating you, I’d get over TJ because I never thought he’d feel the same and I didn’t want to ruin the friendship we have by telling him how I feel. So, my decision to end things between us is not all your fault. It’s mine, too. Believe it or not, Reed, you’re the one that deserves a lot better than me.”

There was a long pause. “Hello? Crap, did I lose connection?” Cyrus sighed frustratedly, moving his phone in front of his face, only to see they were still connected.

“So, you used me?” Reed asked as more of a statement.

“Well, I mean-, n-” Cyrus stuttered. It sounded terrible, but it was the truth. “When you say it like _that_ …” he trailed off. “But, yeah. I guess I did. And I am _so_ sorry.”

He heard Reed sigh through the line, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Like you said, we both messed up.” 

“So...you and TJ, huh?” Reed laughed.

Cyrus knit his eyebrows, “Y-yeah? What about it?”  
“Are you gonna tell him you like him?” Reed asked, genuinely curious.

“Oh. Well, about that.” Cyrus scratched the back of his neck. “I kind of already did. Apparently the feeling is mutual!” He chuckled.

Reed paused for a moment, “So wait...you told TJ how you felt before even breaking up with me?”

“To be fair, before I left the party I told you we were done. I think that counts as breaking up.”

“Okay, yeah, good point. I guess I was just in denial or whatever. But, not to worry. Message received.” 

Cyrus was honestly surprised Reed was taking this so well. “Thank you for being so great, Reed.” 

“Of course, Cy. I want you to be happy.”

“Thanks, Reed. I want you to be happy, too.”

———————————

“So, everybody excited for Saturday??” Andi squeaked cheerfully. 

Everyone at the lunch table nodded, making noises of excitement.  
“I am _so_ ready.” Buffy exclaimed. 

“Me, too!” Marty added. “I love the cotton candy, funnel cakes and the rides. Not to mention the overpriced games! I can’t wait to win Buffy a prize.”

Buffy scoffed, “Oh, please! I don’t need a guy to win me a prize. I can win myself one!” She gasped, “In fact, I’ll do one better! _I’ll_ win _you_ a prize!”

“Okay, Miss Independent Woman, let’s make a deal. How about we’ll play as many games as possible and whoever wins the least amount of prizes for the other has buy them fair food of their choice to make up for the lack of prizes! Even though we’ll probably end up sharing the food.” Marty retorted.

“Bold of you to assume I would share my food.” Buffy laughed, “But sure, you’re on, 11.5!” Marty rolled his eyes playfully and went back to eating his food. 

Cyrus laughed at his friends across the table. He loved their dynamic. Their banter was so cute to watch. Jonah started talking about some frisbee meeting so Cyrus turned his attention to TJ, who was sat next to him. “So, you excited for the fair?” 

“Hell, yeah!” TJ grinned. “I still can’t believe I’m actually getting to go on a date with my favorite person in the entire world.” 

Cyrus blushed and he nudged TJ, “Stop!” He drawled, smiling.

“It’s the truth!” TJ chuckled.

“Well, that’s good! Because you’re my favorite person in the entire world, too.” 

TJ blushed and nudged Cyrus’ knee with his own. After about a minute of silence between the two, Cyrus hesitated before speaking, “I, uh...I spoke with Reed.”

TJ furrowed his brows confused, “What do you mean?”

“Well, he texted me last night. Saying we needed to talk and he wanted to apologize. I almost didn’t call him, but I’m really glad I did. We’re officially over and he took it a lot better than I expected.”

TJ looked back at the table, nodding slowly. “Well, I’m glad he took it well. I’m actually pretty surprised.”

“Me too.” He laughed. He looked at TJ with a soft smile, “He said he wanted me to be happy and I’m happy when I’m with you.” He interlocked their fingers under the lunch table.

TJ’s smile grew, if that was even possible. Cyrus found it endearing. He could say anything and TJ looked at him like he said the funniest or most interesting thing in the world. They just sat there for a few seconds staring at each other until Buffy ruined the moment. 

“Sorry to break up you two practically making out,” Cyrus and TJ snapped their necks in the direction of the owner of the voice, both looking a little flustered and grinning like crazy. “But did I hear you right? You broke up with Reed? Like...officially?”

Cyrus cleared his throat, “I’m not sure how looking at each other classifies as making out, but go off!” Cyrus defended playfully, “Anyway, yeah. Last night. We both apologized, I broke things off, and that’s that!”

Buffy grinned, “Aww, Andi! Look at our boy! He’s a heartbreaker, now!”

“I’m so proud! They grow up so fast!” Andi laughed, wiping a fake tear from her cheek before scrunching her face in confusion, “Wait, you _both_ apologized? Why did you apologize?”

He sighed, digging his face in his palms, “I’d really rather not talk about it. I feel guilty as it is. How about you, me and Buffy get baby taters after school and I’ll tell you then?” Cyrus suggested. 

He really didn’t want to talk about this right now. Especially not in the cafeteria, where Reed could overhear. He didn’t want Reed to think he was talking bad or gossiping about him to his friends behind his back or something.

Buffy nodded, “I could go for some baby taters later.” 

Andi agreed, “Okay! Me too.”

The bell for the next period rang and they all stood up, “See you guys later!” Cyrus exclaimed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter is pretty short and took so long to posT DKLFSKL the holigays be like that. anyway, happy new year!! it's 20biteen!!
> 
> not really a spoiler but next chapter is the fair!! i'm so excited kdfjlkf


End file.
